Stow versus Hoover: A Preview

How will the Bulldogs fare
tonight?

What a good question. There
is a certain exciting—uncertainty—about
predicting how a football team will do. For example, the National
Football League has seen five new teams in their playoffs over the
last decade, meaning predicting a playoff team is tricky business.
Predicting anything, for that matter, is a tricky business. That's
why there have been so many people who predicted the end of the world
and fell short. It's the explanation as to why betting can become
such a gamble, and such an addictive trait. Uncertainty is one thing
for sure: One force that is hard to reckon with.

The uncertainty is also strong in high school football. Players and coaches
move in and out of programs across the nation, but the media is not
swarming to cover them. Some kids wake up one morning and decide
football is not their forte, and quit on the spot, whereas it would
be a bit harder for Tom Brady to throw his hands up and call it a
career. Injuries plague any team's season, and the hurt takes a
bigger toll on bodies that are still developing in high school.

In all, predicting high school football is like calling a coin toss—any
game can go any way at any moment.

Yet here, the Bulldogs and their upcoming opponent are evaluated, studied
and broken down under the microscope. . Looking at returning stars makes it easier to see which teams are more likely to win the ball game, and comparing them to the squad they will face helps develop a good sense of who to watch out
for in the stands.

First thing's first: Meet the Bulldogs.

Third year head coach Mark Nori will be leading his team coming off of a
4-6 subpar season. The Bulldogs parted ways with a large number of
key players, including quarterback Chris Choler, running back Nick
Mutaali, and an offensive line that was made up of nearly all
seniors. Fortunately, while many seniors have gone, some new kids
will be stepping up to the plate. The biggest question marks come up
at quarterback and offensive line, whereas three quarterbacks vied
for the spot in training camp (junior Brian Groves and sophomores
Andy Wargo and Colin McCleary) and Nori will need to desperately
replace those he lost at offensive line. Senior Tim Licata will be
the only returning starter, and will be the leader of the front five
protecting the quarterback. As for the rest of the offense, seniors
Tyler DeVitis, DeVon Jackson and Matt Chadsey, plus junior Ziare
Lewis, will make up the wide receiving core. Chris Wright is listed
as a tight end on stowhighathletics.com, but he could also share time
with Andreas Diamantopoulos, John Ansley and junior Ransom McPhee.
The defense was one of the strong points last season, and should be
good again this year. The leader of the other side of the ball?
Jackson should be, as he has played varsity ball since his sophomore
year.

So, what to expect from Hoover tonight?

8/24: Hoover

Last season, the Bulldogs upset the Vikings on the road, 27-17. Hoover's
vaunted offense, run by Purdue recruit Austin Appleby, sputtered out
in the first half—the squad only managed 3 points in the first two
quarters—and the defense could not find a way to stop Stow's
running game, led by graduate Nick Mutaali. This time around, things
may come out differently. The Bulldogs have not only lost their star
running back, but their sturdy offensive line that was loaded with
experience last season. As for Hoover, one of their biggest threats,
senior tailback Xavier Hogan, will be the player to watch for in the
game as his electric kickoff returns and explosive playmaking may
burn the Bulldogs early in the game.

Key to victory: Watch for Hogan and captain running back Sam Woods. Big
passing attacks are rare in high school football, and if Stow could
avoid Appleby's playmaking last year, they should be able to handle
anything that Hoover can throw at them. Hoover finished an unimpressive 3-7 last year, so it is very likely the Bulldogs will be able to pull this one out.